Investigative Journalist in Houston, Texas
What others are saying about watchdog journalism: Jane Podesta: Lou Grant-style editor J. Todd Foster didn’t cut back on investigative journalism at his small newspaper, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Nieman Journalism Lab: High-quality investigative journalism can’t rely on just one or two sources of cash. Texas Tribune Founder John Thornton says news ventures must …
Earlier this month, Express-News reporter Brian Chasnoff learned the San Antonio Police Department was investigating one of its own, officer Gabriel Villarreal, after a woman complained about the officer’s behavior. The woman worked at the Art of Shaving boutique at the Shops at La Cantera. She met Villarreal and his family and sold him $400 …
When I worked on this short article about CPS Energy and its incorrect claim that no one had ever been killed in an accident at a nuclear plant in the United States, I came across this YouTube video about a fatal accident at the SL-1 military facility in Idaho. That video was obtained by Public.Resource.Org …
After online publications won Pulitzer Prizes this year, Dennis Yang at Techdirt asks if a blog could ever win: Nothing about a physical newspaper inherently makes it better suited for doing great reporting. Print and online are just mediums, and as consumption patterns shift towards online, we should see more of this in the future. …
Business writers Patrick Danner and Jason Buch wrote a story today that revealed new details about an investigation of brothers Ronnie and Gary Cain, who had played a key role in helping Rackspace Hosting Inc. set up its headquarters at the old Windsor Park Mall in Windcrest, outside San Antonio: The former city manager of …
The Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to some outstanding journalists today. Long before the awards were announced, several of the reporters had already been interviewed about how they chased down difficult, complex stories that made a difference: Poynter’s Mallary Jean Tenore interviewed Daniel Gilbert about how he found the time at a small newspaper to uncover …
With all the doom and gloom we keep hearing about newspapers, you’d think no one ever reads them. Tell that to Aaron Blanco. Six days ago, reporter Brian Chasnoff wrote a cool feature story about Blanco and his company, Brown Coffee Co., where Blanco roasts fresh coffee beans in small batches to unlock pungent, fruity …
I first learned about Kachingle last year from Steve Outing. I thought Kachingle was a cool idea, waited for it to launch, and then promptly forgot about it. Then I read this post by the Center for Public Integrity today saying it joined Kachingle. Kachingle’s still around? Turns out, Kachingle has launched in beta, and …
Rosland Gammon had an interesting Q&A with investigative reporter Raquel Rutledge of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who uncovered rampant fraud in a $350 million, taxpayer-subsidized child-care program. Her series of stories, Cashing in on Kids, led to criminal charges against the scammers. A video profiling Rutledge offers a glimpse at the tedious grunt work required …
I wish I could embed aroma in our video about Brown Coffee Co., where owner Aaron Blanco has created a following by unlocking the pungent, fruity flavors of the coffee bean. Aaron is going to compete in a national barista contest, and Express-News Reporter Brian Chasnoff wrote a nice feature story about Blanco’s approach to …